New Delhi, Sep 4 (IANS) Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu held talks with the Belgium Prime Minister, Bart De Wever, on further strengthening civil aviation cooperation between the two nations, an official statement said on Friday.
The discussion included talks on direct air connectivity options between the two countries, air cargo improvements focused on the high-value pharmaceutical sector and advanced air mobility initiatives.
The Belgian Prime Minister is on a three-day official visit to India from September 2–4, during which he held high-level bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deepen trade and investment ties between the two countries and the timely implementation of the India–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
“Honored to meet Prime Minister of Belgium. Discussed further strengthening of India-Belgium cooperation in civil aviation, including direct air connectivity, air cargo for the high-value pharmaceutical sector and Advanced air mobility,” the minister posted on X.
“With the India–EU FTA negotiations concluded under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister @narendramodi, there is tremendous potential to further deepen India–Belgium trade and investment ties,” Naidu added.
The India-EU trade deal, described by policymakers as the “mother of all deals”, was announced in January after negotiations spanning nearly two decades. It is currently undergoing legal scrutiny and procedural formalities before formal signing and implementation.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal recently said India and the European Union are expected to sign their long-awaited FTA by December this year, with the pact likely to come into force between February and March next year.
The agreement will provide Indian businesses access to almost the entire European market at near-zero duty levels, significantly boosting export opportunities. He said around 93 per cent of Indian exports are expected to receive duty-free access under the proposed pact, which was concluded in principle earlier this year after prolonged negotiations between India and the 27-member European Union bloc.
There are strong benefits for India’s labour-intensive sectors such as fisheries, textiles and footwear. Besides, exports of chemicals and pharmaceutical goods are also expected to go up.
India will eliminate tariffs on 86 per cent of tariff lines, and 93 per cent in terms of value.
The agreement is a major milestone for India’s trade sector and said it would strengthen economic ties with one of the country’s largest trading partners.
–IANS
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